Evaluation of on-board photovoltaic modules options for electric vehicles

This paper presents an overview of different commercial photovoltaic (PV) module options to power on-board electric vehicles (EVs). We propose the evaluation factors, constraints, and the decision-making criteria necessary to assess the suitability of this PV module for this application. The incorporation of quality function deployment (QFD) and the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is the decision-making methodology used in this study. Our approach is innovative and robust in that the evaluation depends upon data collected from PV manufactures datasheets. Unlike traditional research, a hybrid AHP and QFD innovative decision-making methodology has been created, and current commercial PV market data for all pairwise comparisons are used to show that methodology. Using both cooled and uncooled PV modules, best, intermediate, and worst-case scenarios were used to estimate the driving ranges of lightweight EVs powered exclusively by bulk silicon PV modules. Results showed that the available daily driving ranges were between 25 and 60 km and that the CO₂ emissions were reduced between 3 and 6.5 kg, compared with internal combustion vehicles of a similar type. We found that mono-Si PV modules were most suited to power low-speed, lightweight, and aerodynamically efficient EVs.